Eastern U.S. swelters with heat wave, power outages

WASHINGTON | By Ian Simpson

WASHINGTON Relentless heat gripped much of the eastern United States for a fourth straight day on Monday, with about 2.1 million homes and businesses without power after violent storms and soaring temperatures killed at least 18 people.

Power companies warned it could take several days to restore electricity completely in some areas as much of the United States sweltered in a heat wave. Two hundred and eighty-eight temperature records were set nationwide on Sunday.

"Above-normal temperatures will continue to affect a large portion of the country from the northern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic over the next few days," the National Weather Service said.

Many areas will see temperatures from 90 degrees Fahrenheit to more than 100 degrees (37.7 C), it said in a statement. Excessive heat warnings and advisories remained over much of the mid-Mississippi Valley and southern states.

Severe thunderstorms were possible in Kentucky and Missouri and in the north-central states, the weather agency said.

Emergencies were declared in Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington because of damage from a rare "super derecho" storm packing hurricane-force winds across a 700-mile (1,100 kilometer) stretch from the Midwest to the Atlantic Ocean.

About 2.1 million homes and businesses from Illinois to New Jersey were still without power, with the biggest concentration in the Washington area.

With power lines down across the region, the U.S. government told federal workers in the Washington area they could take unscheduled leave or work from home on Monday and Tuesday.

Two of the largest property insurers, USAA and Nationwide, said they had received more than 12,000 claims in total from the weekend storms. Most were for house damage.

The storms capped a costly June for insurers, which were already facing losses of at least $1 billion from a hailstorm that ripped through Dallas.

DAMAGE TO POWER GRIDS

Thunderstorms and high winds battered eastern North Carolina on Sunday afternoon, causing three more deaths on top of at least 15 from deadly storms and heat in several states.

About 93,000 Commonwealth Edison customers in northeastern Illinois were without power from powerful storms that brought wind gusts of up to 90 mph.

Utilities in Ohio, Virginia and Maryland described damage to their power grids as catastrophic.

FirstEnergy utilities in states from Ohio to New Jersey had about 252,000 customers without power.

Pepco, which serves Washington and much of its suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, reported about 229,000 customers without power.

Baltimore Gas & Electric said about 213,000 customers remained affected. Almost 1,200 utility workers from 12 states and Canada are helping restore power or are on their way to central Maryland, the company said.

Storms killed six people in Virginia and left more than one million customers without power. Two people were killed in Maryland, officials said.

A falling tree killed two cousins, aged 2 and 7, in New Jersey. Heat was blamed for the deaths of two brothers, ages 3 and 5, in Tennessee who had been playing outside in temperatures reaching 105 (41 C).

St. Louis reported three heat-related deaths over the weekend. All were elderly and had air conditioners not in use.

AccuWeather, a weather forecaster, said the "super derecho" storm that caused the widespread damage had raced 700 miles from northern Indiana to the Atlantic coast in 12 hours.

A derecho - Spanish for "straight" - is a long-lasting wind storm that accompanies fast-moving thunderstorms or showers, AccuWeather said. The most powerful derechos are called "super derechos," described by AccuWeather as a "land hurricane."

(Reporting by Bruce Olsen in St. Louis, Karen Brooks in Austin, Texas, Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, Paul Thomasch in New York, Susan Guyett in Indianapolis, Tim Ghianni in Nashville, Jane Sutton in Miami and Alistair Bull in Washington.; Editing by Eric Beech and Christopher Wilson)

A boy plays in the ocean at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York June 30, 2012. Nearly 4 million homes and businesses were without power on Saturday amid a record heat wave in the eastern United States after deadly thunderstorms downed power lines from Indiana to...

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Debris from the storm-damaged Park Tanglewood apartments, some of which were exposed when high winds tore open a hole in the roof and knocked out the electricity, sits atop cars and utility lines in the parking lot in Riverdale, Maryland, June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at...

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Children play in the ocean at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York June 30, 2012. Nearly 4 million homes and businesses were without power on Saturday amid a record heat wave in the eastern United States after deadly thunderstorms downed power lines from Indiana...

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Dogs and their owners play in a creek as the temperature neared 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 30, 2012. Temperatures in Utah are predicted to reach 100 Fahrenheit on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

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Cars hit by debris from the storm-damaged Park Tanglewood apartments, some of which were exposed when high winds tore open a hole in the roof and knocked out the electricity, sit in the parking lot in Riverdale, Maryland, June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to...

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Bentley, a yellow Labrador, chases a ball in a creek as the temperature neared 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), in Salt Lake City, Utah June 30, 2012. Temperatures in Utah are predicted to reach 100 Fahrenheit on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

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A child looks at a house struck by a tree after a violent thunderstorm ripped through the area on Saturday evening, in Falls Church, Virginia June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 79 mph (127 kph) were reported in and around the U.S. capital, knocking out...

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Debris from the storm-damaged Park Tanglewood apartments, some of which were exposed when high winds tore open a hole in the roof and knocked out the electricity, sits in the parking lot in Riverdale, Maryland, June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 79 mph were...

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People survey storm damage in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 79 mph were reported in and around the U.S. capital, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes in the Washington area.

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People watch work crew clear storm damage in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 79 mph were reported in and around the U.S. capital, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes in the Washington area.

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Workers ride in a golf cart overloaded with tree branches as they clean up following an overnight storm in the Washington area, at the AT&T National in Bethesda, Maryland, June 30, 2012. More than 2 million people were without power in the mid-Atlantic region on Saturday...

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A chainsaw is used to cut up a tree that fell onto the 14th fairway during an overnight storm in the Washington area, at the AT&T National in Bethesda, Maryland, June 30, 2012. More than 2 million people were without power in the mid-Atlantic region on Saturday from...

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A power company worker surveys damage to overhead power lines on Canal Road in Washington June 30, 2012, following an overnight storm in the Washington area. More than 2 million people were without power in the mid-Atlantic region on Saturday from hurricane-force winds that...

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A chainsaw is used to cut a tree that fell onto the 14th fairway during an overnight storm in the Washington area, at the AT&T National in Bethesda, Maryland June 30, 2012. More than 2 million people were without power in the mid-Atlantic region on Saturday from...

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Storm-damaged trees litter the east lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 79 mph were reported in and around the U.S. capital, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes in the Washington, D.C., area.

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Workers push over a tree that fell onto the 14th fairway following an overnight storm in the Washington area, at the AT&T National in Bethesda, Maryland, June 30, 2012. Powerful storms struck the mid-Atlantic states with hurricane-force gusts on Friday, knocking out power to...

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A power company worker surveys damage to overhead power lines on Canal Road in Washington, June 30, 2012, following an overnight storm in the Washington area. More than 2 million people were without power in the mid-Atlantic region on Saturday from hurricane-force winds that...

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A chainsaw is used to cut up a tree that fell onto the 14th fairway during an overnight storm in the Washington area, at the AT&T National in Bethesda, Maryland, June 30, 2012. More than 2 million people were without power in the mid-Atlantic region on Saturday from...

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People survey storm damage in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 79 mph ( 127 kmh) were reported in and around the U.S. capital, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes in the Washington area.

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Work crew clear storm damage in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 79 mph were reported in and around the U.S. capital, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes in the Washington area.